


Nightingale Wings

by lady_krysis (saekhwa)



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: 1000-3000 words, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Asian Character, Canon - Anime, Character of Color, Multi, POV Character of Color, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-02-25
Updated: 2006-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:24:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/lady_krysis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Relena tries to capture her nightingale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightingale Wings

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Leslie for being my beta. She's great. And thanks to Rachel for reading it as well. This fic was inspired by a challenge from Leslie to write a fairy tale fic.

Relena Darlian could not want anymore.

Her kingdom was beautiful. Her land was abundant. Her people were at peace.

Yet her gaze wandered out the windows of her room, searching for the true beauty roaming free out there.

Just a voice that could bring tears to her eyes.

She sighed when they told her, "No, Miss Relena. We have not found him, but we will. We will."

Her fingers trailed over the glass as she closed her eyes. "Where are you? Why are you hiding from me?"

When she closed her eyes, she could see the shimmer of white wings against the black eternity of space, against the vast blue of the sky. She opened the window and felt the breeze caress her fingers like tendrils of his hair against her palm.

_Did I dream everything, Heero Yuy? I remember you singing to me._

"Miss Relena, we may have found him."

She turned her gaze to her guards, standing immediately. "Take me there."

They nodded and surrounded her, escorting her to her limousine. Her gaze lingered out the window, blinking at the rush of the city and the people melting into trees, lines, and thriving green. Her eyes whisper closed, and she rolled down the window, desperate for the air and the sounds of his hiding place.

She wanted to feel it on her skin, the cool detachment of it sliding over her with the rushing sound like falling overwhelming her ears.

Blinking, she realized the door was open, and her guards were waiting for her, staring at her with pinched eyes and smiles.

She allowed them to lead her down the trampled path, holding the branches away from her, holding her arm if ever she seemed to slip.

Taking a breath, she watched the light pool between the spaces in the trees, illuminating tiny areas of growth as she searched for his presence in the quiet sounds of other creatures.

When she lifted her eyes, she inhaled a sharp breath, pressing a hand to her chest as she smiled to hold back her blurring vision.

"Heero."

He turned and stared at her, his arm lowering his gun to the ground.

"You're alive."

She took a step forward.

"Will you please come with me?"

He seemed to be listening to something else, his gaze intent on her, but his body unresponsive to her request.

Then he took one step forward.

~*~

She gave him a room in her home, keeping him here as best as she could without locking him inside. Each time she saw him, she held her breath, just waiting for him to walk away, to disappear as he did before.

She would close her eyes and turn away from him, listening to his few words and hastily brushing the tears from her eyes.

And all she yearned for was to hold him in her arms.

She never expected another voice to enter her home, to fill it up with laughter and jokes.

Duo strode in without any cares of worries, his brown braid swishing back and forth as his blue eyes sparkled.

"Hey, princess." Duo winked at Relena, and she nodded.

"Hello, Duo. What brings you here?"

"Came looking for Heero. Thought he got lost on the way or was kidnapped or trying to blow himself up again." Duo slung his arm around Heero's shoulders. "Gotta take care of him, you know."

~*~

She held her breath, and she couldn't let it go. Heero was gone.

She leaned against the wall, pressing her fists to her eyes. Yet the images flashed in the darkness there, bringing a choked moan from her lips. She didn't even care if they heard her or not.

A different song—gasps and moans—Heero arching—parted lips—eager tongues—traveling fingertips—rhythms—crescendos—staccato beats—a lingering note—long hair trailing over skin—

She bit her lower lip, her eyes flickering to the door.

She ran.

Her song seemed tainted and the wings that used to be on her vision were blackened by the sun, engulfed into the darkness of the space around it.

She collapsed to the floor, clutching her heart, gasping for a breath as she trembled.

Until she closed her eyes and lay on the floor, shivering.

~*~

The doctors came and went, and a sadness seeping into the walls. The secrets were out, the truth becoming rumors on gossiping lips.

_She's sick—Long time—Something in the lungs—It's in her heart—Poor thing—So peaceful—Strong—Never even knew—_

She lay in her bed, dreaming of the moment his voice broke, unable to run away from the image of them and the adoration in their eyes for each other.

Her eyes fluttered open, glazed eyes meeting blue. She smiled because he still made her smile, made her heart hover. At least he came back to her.

"Heero ... ."

Fingertips brushed her cheek, and she tried to sit up.

_Shhhh_ whispered over her forehead.

Closing her eyes, she sighed. "I knew you would come ... ."

Fingers trailed to her neck, brushing strands of hair from her throat. She reached to grasp that hand—

Her eyes shot open at the pressure, widening to see a blue death. Her mouth opened, and her nails curved into skin as the room stilled on that single hollow color.

"You can't keep him tied."

_No—Not this—I can't—_

_Don't do this,_ she wanted to say. _Don't—Someone—Heero—help me—death—_

She choked, still inhaling a sharp breath when she felt her skin give. Her stomach felt full, ached, dulled. Her gaze flickered down when he moved up, his hand still wrapped around the hilt of his knife.

"And you can't set him free."

"D—o—"

She felt the tears staining her cheeks as she tried to tell him, tried desperately to make him let go, tried to call her hero one more time because he was always there.

_We were real—With me—Singing—_

She could only hear silence, except for the soft breathing above her.

"Go to sleep, Relena."

His hand closed over her eyes, and she arched at the twist of the blade.

He let her go.

Bleeding out her sorrow, her sickness, and a final choked sigh.


End file.
